Climate Refugees: Acknowledging The Existence Of An Imminent Threat

Abstract

A former Secretary General of the UN General Assembly stated in a press conference that the world is expected to have over 50 million refugees by 2020. Issues relating to refugees have existed since the conclusion of the World War- II, however its nature has changed. Today, displacement is not just caused by threat of persecution by home State, but also by extensive climate change, a ground which is not recognized for the grant of refugee status under the Refugee Convention. States cite the Convention as a justification for refusing entry to these individuals. However, the winds of change have given rise to the concept of environmental refugees which presents an emerging change in jurisprudence surrounding the subjects, thereby demanding the inclusion of people displaced by climate change, under the definition of refugee. The present article delves into this new phenomena and attempts to find an answer to this demand raised in light of the recent events in the world, while also proposing remedies for a proper mechanism